Fiction

My Brother, Steve Steve looks rested, has all his teeth and his shirt is immaculate; you would never in a million years think this guy was on welfare. He’s my brother and we meet once a year for my birthday treat at the restaurant of his choice. This year, he’s chosen Olive Garden. Aside from […]

Something Horrible In Need of Killing The three older boys hanging out behind our school said that they’d killed a rabid dog at the abandoned air force base. “We slashed at him until I got him in the stomach,” one of them said. “Did he bleed out?” I asked, trying to sound cool. “No. He […]

A Nun’s Arse “What a shame,” Nonna said when I arrived at her place after working at the family restaurant. “Mary Muldoon just called. Drunk as a skunk, asking if I knew where her husband Jim was and quite annoyed at the Happy Garden Chinese Restaurant. Said they were sending her pork fried rice and […]

Thorns If he had been sitting on a lazy cloud, looking down at the world, it might almost have looked nice. The patchwork of rice paddies could have been a green quilt thrown over the earth. Henry’s rifle hung heavily from his shoulder, and silently he wept—knowing that I could not weep aloud. Guns and […]

The Salesman A man comes to town. He wears spit-shined shoes and a lime-green coat. His hair is all slicked, and there’s a pack on his shoulders. He looks bright and flashy, like a light bulb. I see him walking down the road, the noon sun sizzling on his head, with his feet raising little […]

blueRed Oh, but the physicality of my thinking is chaotic. Outside of my apartment someone is walking up the stairs. I sometimes walk up those stairs and stumble. But I wasn’t always like this. Nonono. I’m gonna write the letter. […]

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May 2016

Our summer submission period is now OPEN! Please spread the word and head over to Submittable to submit your best work.

Also, we'd like to announce that Jasmine Moore and Madison Parrotta will be interning with us this summer. Both attend Rider University and are quite a strong fit for The Bookends Review. They'll be helping out with reading, editing, and administration, and we couldn't be happier to have them on board. Please welcome them and send in those submissions ASAP :)

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